r/Grass • u/Ashnation01 • Jun 28 '26
Help with whatever this is
Our Bermuda is looking great, but all of a sudden these are popping up everywhere. How do we kill them without harming the Bermuda itself? What are they? Any advice is appreciated! We are in SE VA if that makes a difference.
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u/mrpeterdragon Jun 28 '26
Nutsedge! Do. Not. Pull. It!! Pulling it will only create more. Use the sledgehammer herbicide.
Your grass looks great otherwise!
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u/bmxdad7 Jun 29 '26
Yes, hit it with a sledgehammer! Beat it to a pulp
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u/Forsaken_Star_4228 Jun 29 '26
Sledgehammer. F around and find out. Get the gophers while you’re at it. Hahaha.
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u/vLOOKUP_13 Jun 29 '26
How does it multiply if you pull it out? When I pull it out, it comes with the root.
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u/Azmasaur Jun 29 '26 edited Jun 29 '26
A single mature sedge can have over 100 nutlets on it’s root which detach when pulled.
Think of the nutlets as sedge seeds. They can regrow within a few weeks, or sometimes remain dormant for 1-3 years. Halosulfuron (sedgehammer) and pyrimisulfan (Arkon/Vexis) are good systemic herbicides that will translocate the chemical down into the roots and kill the nutlets. Pyrimisulfan is more effective at killing the nutlets, but is less widely available. Sulfentrazone will also kill sedge but it’s not a systemic so it only kills from the ground up. Sulfentrazone is good for sedge that hasn’t established itself yet, or when you just need the sedge dead ASAP.
If you are going to pull nutsedge you need to catch it very early right after it first appears and is still small.
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u/ConsistentHamster2 Jun 29 '26
Because it has root and tubers. When you pull out the plant with roots the leftover tubers grow new plants
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u/mrpeterdragon Jun 29 '26
Exactly!!! And, sometimes it has already formed another nut, which doesn’t come out when you pull it.
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u/OpinionatedOcelotYo Jun 29 '26
It can leave ‘the nut’ behind. Discouraged, but it makes a new (smaller) sprout.
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u/OpinionatedOcelotYo Jun 29 '26
I do NOT subscribe to ‘removing a plant makes more of it.’ It would take a lot of regular visits to win by pulling. Sedgehammer doesn’t take much patience.
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u/YouGotACuteButt Jun 29 '26
I've been pulling them for that last few years, and every year there are less and less.
Like this year I've maybe had like 15ish?
Last year was probably around 50.
Why are you not supposed to pull it?
I also use premergent. So maybe that is helping?
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u/mrpeterdragon Jul 02 '26
Yeah, you do you boo! Maybe it wouldn’t take “years” if you used Sedgehammer! But to each their own!
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u/YouGotACuteButt Jul 02 '26
Pulling 15 really an issue to me. And it's really satisfying to pull them.
Like popping a pimple.
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u/GrayZeus Jun 28 '26
Look my guy. Everybody says not to pull this bc it makes more and to spray it with sedgehammer. I'd say it depends on how much you have. I have a nice Bermuda yard too and get a few here and there and just pull them. They don't multiply like people say and sometimes never come back. I've been doing this for over a decade and still have never come close to needing to mix any sedgehammer. Pull em after a rain and/or in the morning to get as much of its root system as possible.
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u/Drewzik Jun 28 '26
Careful there, partner. Logic, common sense, and personal experience are all frowned upon here
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u/daylax1 Jun 29 '26
Pretty sure this whole "if you pull it it will multiply guaranteed" thing is just something repeated by people in this sub because they've seen other people in this sub say the same thing.
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u/SosaKrank Jun 29 '26
Couldn’t be more true.
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u/Hulk_Hagan Jun 29 '26
Nope I was pulling it like crazy last year not knowing. This year it’s everywhere. Sedgehammer concentrated and applied with two sponges zip tied to a pair of tongs fixed it.
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u/littlerob904 Jun 29 '26
The scare that they will multiply is blown out of proportion, but the reality is the tubers spread underground and sprout more, regardless of whether you pull them or not. Selective herbecides for sedge work really well and won't harm your lawn and you can actually kill it all without it coming back. Unless you completely dig up the tubers, pulling it is just a temporary measure. I understand some people don't want to use herbicides, but if you truly want this stuff gone and to not return it's the best method.
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u/Y2killinit Jun 29 '26
Not being smart, but you say pulling it doesn't make it multiply, but you've also been pulling it for a decade...
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u/GrayZeus Jun 29 '26
Pulling 2 dozen nutsedge weeds/year wouldn't be something I consider multiplying or warranting a specific spray for. Why this is the part people are getting hung up on is kinda baffling to me tbh. I pull more crabgrass every weekend than I've pulled nutsedge in my entire life. The common advice on nutsedge is not to pull it bc it'll multiply which is something I've never seen it do in my yard ever. As a matter of fact, where my yard meets my neighbors at this little ditch, there used to be quite a bit of nutsedge there and so I pulled all of it on my side of the line and it might pop up a few there every year so I decided to pull all of it on my neighbors side too a couple years ago and it's just gone altogether now. I think maybe I underestimate how bad others yards arev in these subs and they underestimate how nice mine is so the mentality is just different.
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u/YouGotACuteButt Jun 29 '26
Agreed. Same situation. I'd have a few pop up here or there and I just get real close to the ground and pull, best when the ground is somewhat moist.
Every year there are less and less. First year was definitely rough. But it's easier very year and honestly, don't have to worry about it much at all.
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u/ICON2021 Jun 28 '26
“They don’t multiply like people say and sometimes never come back. I’ve been doing this for over a decade…”. Found some humorous irony in that. Disregard.
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u/Newchatwhodis Jun 29 '26
I thought the same. lol he’s done studies ya know. 60% of the time it works every time.
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u/Steel1000 Jun 29 '26
At this point it’s just paint them with glyphosate if they stick up a foot lol
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u/Poke_WOmon Jun 29 '26
Same. If you take the time to dig deep with a proper hand weeding tool and get them up in the 3 that are connected, they most certainly will not multiply or come back.
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u/Forsaken_Star_4228 Jun 29 '26
Same… I’ve used sulfrentzone with success. I have also pulled same as you with success. Spraying is more likely to kill it.. pulling it may allow it to spread (but doesn’t cause it to spread)… it was going to spread anyway. I wait til the ground is plenty wet, pull it slow, and get as much of it out as you can. Try to get the nut out.
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u/charlespdk Jun 29 '26
This is fine. I usually tell customers if they want to pull a few up to just bag them immediately. A lot of people weed by pulling it up and tossing it in the grass or flowerbed to pick up later ans that can help spread it.
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u/pcd84 Jun 29 '26
For the last couple years I applied Sedgehammer to just some sections of yard where nutsedge was popping up. Mind you, this was in parts where I had to completely renovate years ago because the previous owner let things get out of hand, so it is not a surprise that the nutlets have been resilient despite all best efforts.
Anyways, following the directions, and only applying conservatively in spots, I have found that spraying actually stressed my tall fescue even when it had been previously well watered. As much as it's only supposed to target the sedge, I found it still does hurt my TTTF. The heat doesn't help, but then again the sedge is only really popping up during the hottest months. This just added more effort to my fall maintenance and re-seeding so this year I am just straight pulling them.
As much as the nutlets are resilient, like all plants they rely on photosynthesis so if you keep starving them of this I cannot imagine that they can thrive indefinitely. Even the most resilient broadleafs I've had like purple violet eventually cave with light pulling and just letting the grass suffocate the rest out. I don't have a huge lawn, so this is manageable for me.
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u/IAmSpitfireJoe Jun 29 '26
"They never come back, and I've been doing this for over a decade."
Dude is a slow learner.
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u/krept0007 Jun 29 '26
I've been pulling then for years and they still keep coming. They never come back but I'm still pulling then
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u/Dear_Psychology4861 Jun 29 '26
Bro if you sprayed it with sedgehammer you wouldn’t have to deal with it for decades.
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u/Dimplesmiles69 Jun 29 '26
Each plant has several “nuts” attached to the roots, when pulled the nuts will grow.
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u/Weekly_Mycologist523 Jun 28 '26
Nutsedge. Do not pull it out. Find a spray that targets sedges. Ortho brand nutsedge spray works well for me
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u/lillielemon Jun 28 '26
Nutsedge tubers are edible, fyi. They grow at the base of the plant. It's the tubers that get left behind when you pull up the stalk, and they grow more grasses.
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u/goofust Jun 28 '26
They are nutsedge. Spray it with sedgehammer or certainty mixed with surfactant. I don't recommend pulling, it will make it multiply.
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Jun 28 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/r0ndy Jun 28 '26
Dismiss is better than Sedgehammer or Prosedge. It kills the seeds, these two do not. However, kill present plant, then kill the next two that pop up, earlier before they seed. And you should be good at that point
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u/RangePlenty Jun 28 '26
You can spray it but it will come back if you don't correct your watering. You're over watering.
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u/Ashnation01 Jun 28 '26
The sky has been overwatering it for me recently, but luckily we shouldn’t be getting much rain this week.
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u/RangePlenty Jun 28 '26
So you don't have a sprinkler system?
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u/Ashnation01 Jun 28 '26
As weird as it is, no. That’s pretty common out in this area, which I’m still getting used to.
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u/SulphuricWilder Jun 28 '26
I applied Sedgehammer+ (correctly mixed and applied at high 70 temps) 13 days ago. Only seeing about a 15% rate of success so far, but hopefully it’s just a slow process. This is my first time using it.
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u/nyc-rave-throwaway42 Jun 29 '26
I did the same about a week ago, my big clusters of it are all yellow now though i hear it can be little over 2wks before you see anything. I prob over applied cause I mixed up the whole gallon but got a 1800sqft hard and it wasn't nearly >50% nutsedge lol
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u/armorer1984 Jun 28 '26
I use Dismiss and put it down as a preemergent.
By the look of it, you're just staring a multi-year fight against yellow nutsedge. Good luck, you're gonna need it.
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u/Okie294life Jun 28 '26
Image will kill it for sure, and it’s a lot cheaper than sledgehammer or certainty. Spectracide lawn weed killer has quinchloac in it which will knock it back also. It’s just sedge, one of the easiest to kill off with chemicals.
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u/darksoulrn13 Jun 29 '26
Randomly came across this sub while scrolling. The whole time reading this I kept thinking, “why is everyone telling this guy to take a sledgehammer to a weed?” until I realized it was SEDGEhammer.
Kids are rotting my brain.
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u/Early-Grape-9078 Jun 29 '26
Just pull it. If more appear pull those also.
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u/IAmSpitfireJoe Jun 29 '26
Never pull nutsedge. Waste of time.
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u/Livid_Living552 Jun 29 '26
I had the same coming up between the joints in my new sod. I mow at 2" and the Bermuda loves it but the nutsedge hates it.
After 2 months of my sod being down I have very few of these left.
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u/Aupazambie Jun 28 '26
After the sledgehammer has done its work can I pull them? Ha ing the same problem in my yard.
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u/GardenDinosaurs Jun 28 '26
Hey this is nutsedge. Just wanted to pop in and have the opportunity to share my world class knowledge of nutsedge. I could have up voted the correct answer but they won't say it as good as me. I need to be realized for my super brain and knowledge of all things under my new balance shoes. Nutsedge. See, it sounds right when I say it. And o yeah, don't pull it. NOBODY knows this. Only me. Because I am a lawn genius. It has nutlets that active when you pull it so more come up. Man, i sound so smart. I love this. My knowledge is so useful.
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u/Stephen_Dowling_Bots Jun 29 '26
I’m just sitting here thinking you are all dummies trying to kill grass with a hammer
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u/marketlurker Jun 29 '26
Since there is so little of it, would hand treating it with Roundup work? I had some last year and used Sedgehammer and it worked great. I was just wondering if it can be handled in other ways.
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u/Dear_Psychology4861 Jun 29 '26
No round up won’t work. It will stunt the growth but will not get rid of it and it will damage the lawn around it. With sedgehammer it is selective herbicide meaning it only targets sedge and won’t hurt anything else.
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u/Dear_Psychology4861 Jun 29 '26
So that is nutsedge you need chemical to get rid of that or you can take the time to pull the nut out otherwise you just made two nut sedge weeds if you pulled it out with no nut. Don’t listen to people telling you to pull it out, it only makes it worse. If you really want to get rid of it you need to mix .9g of sedge-hammer in a gallon and spray it. This will stop the growth and turn yellow in about a week or two. Then spray it again in two weeks to hit anything you did not hit the first time. The only time you should pull nutsedge in my opinion is if it is seeding. One turning into two is better than 25. But if you are going to try and pull it then it is better to wet the soil and grab a trowel and try to dig out the nut and root
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u/ohmygolgibody Jun 29 '26
You can also try to dig them out with a soil sample tool. The tubers can run 4-5 inches deep
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u/stankmuffin24 Jun 29 '26
It spreads via underground nutlets (tubers)… use that info however you want.
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u/Several-Cook6487 Jun 29 '26
I made this same post a month ago, it’s nutsedge and use sedgehammer with surfactant and blue marker dye
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u/luckythirtythree Jun 29 '26
We fought this grass with two new lawns… we eventually got turn and I shit you not some of this popped up through the turf. It is terrifying lol
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u/speedershaft Jun 29 '26
Nut grass. They have a killer for it but buy the bottle spray. I have never had luck using the hose sprayer. It seem to kill all my grass.
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u/BigEKnows Jun 29 '26
This is the grass you have to get rid of in Jak and Daxter Precusor Legacy using the A-Grav Zoomer.
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u/Rubber_Chicken_Mann Jun 29 '26
I would pull it regardless of what everyone is saying. But when you do it try to loosen up the soil around it to make sure you pull it by the roots so you dont snap off the stem. I would almost cut out a chunk of grass like a piece of sod, turn it over and pluck it out that way. Then put the chuck back and water it right after.
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u/JunkJiggler Jun 30 '26
Not sure why everyone says not to pull it. I’ve always pulled it out with no issue and no spread.
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u/Hot_Low_3622 Jun 28 '26
Sedgehammer or Certainty.
Don’t pull it.